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Laura trudged away from the Police Station back towards her Boat and slammed the door after sinking herself into the seat with an exasperated sigh. She never thought she would have to bail the supposed ruler of Hell out of Jail in her life-- and just when she believed an appreciation of him was becoming clear. Near white-knuckled hands clasped the steering wheel like she was pretending to choke it until a few of her fingers went ahead and rhythmically tapped the sides of the tattered black grip. Laura rarely became furious; especially in her still heightening age, but this completely avoidable situation provoked her own sort of inner demon to surface and writhe under her pores. Her brown eyes shot daggers at the front doors of the station as she waited for her Husband to finish filing paperwork in the stead of the Devil, of whom she was hoping could feel the sting of her glare.

The Demon within Spongebob's head was ranting to himself for the entirety of his time he had wasted on the gossiping fish from the restaurant, as well as the inconveniences caused by his Host stepping in. He didn't have to put his hands up once the Police arrived, Lucius thought. If only the boy stayed silent, they would have escaped without a trace. Perhaps not without first removing the fins of the Fish who dared speak ill of his date, however. They had deserved it, didn't they? Alas, they would never come to terms with Lucius' methods of Justice. Violence merely for the sake of summoning it was never something Spongebob cared for, even if his hands partake willingly. Guilt would soon fester in the man's blood if he ever did.

Lucius peered through the eyes of his Host at the papers he shuffled through before he scoffed in irritation and fell backwards onto the squidgy cranial floor-- now lying flat with his arms spralled in a stance that suggested a snow angel was in order. "HURRY UP WITH THAT ALREADY!! THIS IS TAKING FOREVER!!" The Devil nagged the boy, showing a new impatience Spongebob hasn't seen before, which took him off guard for a moment. Returning to his work, Spongebob teased the parasite under his breath, "What's the rush to get out, Bud? Got another Restaurant to terrorize or something?" Although the Sponge was poisoned ill due his inner Demon's rage, he couldn't help but to play around with him. But the Beast grumbled lowly-- sinking his claws into the fibers of muscle under his hands, if not only to give the man a migraine. "OH, I'M SORRY I STEPPED IN TO SILENCE THE HERD OF MOTHER FUCKERS WHO HAD THE GALL TO LAY CLAIM UPON MADAM SQUAREPANTS WHO IS CURRENTLY PIERCING ME WITH HER EYES OUTSIDE. MY BAD INDEED. IT'S ALMOST AS IF I GAVE TWO SHITS ABOUT HER IMAGE THERE. OH, WAIT..." He paused his sarcasm, only to rip two chunks out of Spongebob's head suddenly and hurl them towards the back of the man's eyes. "I DID!!!" The howl that bellowed from Lucius resonated through the small space of the Consciousness, as it merely added to the already searing pain of the new wounds within Spongebob's skull. "AND I'M SORRY I DON'T WANT ANY OF THESE HEATHENS TO BREATHE MALICE UPON HER NAME, BUT I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER WAY TO TEACH THEM THAT SHE IS NOT TO BE TRIFLED WITH AS LONG AS I AM WITHIN EAR-SHOT!!" He bemoaned, "WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE IF YOU'RE SUCH A SAINT?!" Lucius bared rows of sharpened teeth; clenching strenuously and causing them to creak.

The fountain pen Spongebob held trembled and nearly dropped from his fingers like his nerves have been tampered with, and in that spance, the Officer sitting across from him began to wonder if the man was about to break down. A few tears had welled up in the ducts and his brow scrunched in a way that created a look of acute discomfort. "You're fine, Son. You'll be done soon. Just a little more, OK?" The fish reassured, and Spongebob gave him a quick glance followed by a small nod as he continued to the final page. It was only now that he was grateful he had changed places with his Doppleganger when he had. If the Police had seen the Monster, he might be studied and prodded in a Lab by now.

Once the grumbling Demon laid down again, Spongebob took his opportunity to address his actions, "There was no need for that, I was just trying to lighten the mood..." A loud and obviously faked laugh punched the muttering out of the Devil's mouth, "BY PATRONIZING ME? SURE, WHY NOT? WHAT FUN! BEST TO CONDESCEND THE BLOODY SON OF THE GREAT DEVIL! HE'S JUST A WEE LAD THAT COULDN'T HURT A FLY! CLEARLY THE INTELLIGENCE IS LEAKING FROM YOU!" A disgruntled Spongebob shook his head. He didn't quite know why he was behaving with bad form, seeing as he could have cut and run from here whenever he pleased. However, he did have a solid theory. The yellow square considered his next words carefully, then calmly replied, "I didn't mean to offend you. But, Laura is a capable woman, Savage. And even though you CLEARLY care about her and who interracts with her, remember that she's been in the Navy, dealt with my stupid ass for... I don't know how long now and faced many other horrors in her life. She can handle a little bad-mouthing. If you would just give her more credit."

Lucius slowly silenced his growls to fixate on Laura's days in the Navy. After visualizing her running from him in the red lit and flooded halls of the cavitating submarine, his features twisted into shame. A light moan escaped his lungs as he replayed the memory over and over like a broken record. The Devil reached up to his chest and placed a heavy hand over his heart. She had shot him that day point-blank with a rifle. Callused fingers brushed over his pectoral like he still felt the sting of the bullet. That look in her eyes-- like an anomalous gelid fire, he thought. It was exhilarating for him to remember, and yet at the same time painful, but not in the sense that his physicality was truly damaged. It was perhaps because she really was made from the same mold as Laurel, and if she killed him, it would make them even. Though, it was always unlikely, and he knew it well. He was aware he didn't have a hand in the death of his beloved by means of intention, and he himself could not die no matter what. It was through her connection to him that she perished.

He exhaled a breath filled with regrets as he snapped out of his reflections. By the time he opened his reddened eyes again, they were already headed to the boat to greet the displeased woman in the driver's seat.

The two sat near motionless and quiet beside one another on the highway. The chill of the night air appeared to bend around a heated aura surrounding Laura. It could not penetrate her when her blood boiled it away. Spongebob peered at her concentrated face, but she did not return his look. Maybe it was for the best not to presently. He turned away, now counting the street lights as they sped past towards home. Unprecedently however, Lucius took over his host's body and the noticable shift in weight caused Laura to break focus from the road to the Devil in the place her Husband disappeared. "Wha-- Savage, what are you doing?!" Spongebob asked while being forcibly tossed into the space they shared.

The Devil gleamed his menacing eyes down at her with a paradoxical meloncholy to his brow. He looked like he had something to say, but remained speechless despite it. Instead, the first to break the ice was her; if said ice was destroyed with 2 tons of dynamite. "What the HELL were you thinking in there?!" She screamed, repeating her concentration of the road. "You could have KILLED someone!" To that, the man chuffed, "HONESTLY, THAT WAS THE PLAN." She glared at him while keeping her head in line with the street, unwavering in her movements. "Why would you even think of doing that if you were making so much progress with me, Savage? Did you assume I'd swoon over this?" The woman sternly asked. "Because I don't go for the whole 'bad boy' trope... I can't even express how disappointed I am in you right now. You REALLY messed up tonight." Laura shook her head, and continued to scold him, but his expressions for the duration of it became vacant. He found himself infatuated with the tone of her vexed assertions. Another memory intruded his mind, where she was dressed in similar fashion to Laurel during a Halloween party he hosted the days he spent possessing Logan. His mouth and brow warped with even more remorse for stealing the potential good years of her youth. He didn't need to do anything to her, and yet, here she is before him. Yelling at him for something he had done in her name. What a world.

As the boat pulled into the warm Garage of the Pineapple home, Laura stared into the wicked face of the Devil, who didn't seem to be all there, or at least, not until she touched her hand to his tense thigh. She felt him flinch before meeting her gaze. The couple inspected each other's expressions-- sorting through their meanings in their own postulations. Laura was unreadable to him in this juncture, when such a short time ago he could traverse her thoughts without so much as a blink. A rush of fervor enveloped Lucius' entirety by the basic look she cast upon him, however. Those radiant and glimmering golden irises were familiar, and brought him comfort; even if she was less than content with him momentarily. Another thought crossed his mind-- something he needed to do or he would implode into a depression so immense, he would collapse right into her now just so she could hold him like Laurel used to.

He had to let the truth into the world. Everything he had done and every string he had pulled... must be laid bare.

Yet he continued to be still in her presence. Was he even truly ready to come forth with this to her of all people? This was the first instance he could recall his confidence retreat. The first time he didn't know what to do.

"Savage? Are you alright?" Spongebob asked, reintroducing himself to the situation. The reverberating voice of his host permitted the Devil to perk up a bit. He had recaptured his train of thought, and the one it was headed towards was...

Without any more contemplation, he hopped from the passenger seat and sprouted wings to take to the skies as quickly as he could muster. Laura was left unexpectedly alone, which remodified her calm surprise into the cold bitterness she held waiting at the station. "You're welcome for wasting my money, jerk!" She spat, collecting her purse and slammed the driver side door shut prior to entering her home in a similarly angered fashion.

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Spongebob sat confused in the Consciousness in regards to his Demon's swift departure. Every emotion toiled by Lucius was like a mass of humid, if not intangible waves within the fleshy dimension Spongebob was occupying. The air gradually started feeling as viscous as honey, and subsequently difficult to walk through. Where was he going with such heavy sensitivities? His inquiry was answered once the bronze creature made a sloppy landing onto the sands of Jellyfish fields. Swiping debris from his dilapidated brown shorts, Lucius made his way with haste towards a Magenta Coral Willow-- sitting at it's base instantaniously whilst facing away from a sea of red flowers.

The Yellow Sponge didn't speak up for some time; contemplating to wait for the other Man's move. Lucius gave the impression of nervousness through ways of unremitted muscle spasms, which Spongebob could detect from the now twitching cranium floor. His nerves wouldn't cease their signals of worry. A strong breath fell from the Beast in an attempt to soothe himself. He raised his head to the heavens as he sunk more of his weight restfully into the tree.

"Robert..." Lucius addressed, having his host straighten out at attention and reply quickly, "Yeah?" Lucius turned his unsettling milky white eyes to the wedding ring on his finger; binding him and Laura together. He had lovingly smirked at the notion, but soon shook his head. Spongebob was her Husband, not him. He didn't deserve even a doppleganger of Laurel, no matter how forgiving she was. "I... I would like to... confess... something to someone, and..." He spoke unenergetically and without an aspect of intimidation unlike his usual tone. "Do not tell any of this to Laura... Understand that I'm not asking. I just want to tell her myself when... when I'm ready..." Spongebob sat up, intrigued. He nodded with comprehension. He could discern a tremor within the ever-expanding consciousness-- a tremor he recognized immediately as a welling up of tears about to come forth after holding them in for a long time. He still didn't know how he could feel it, as well as many other emotions the Monster had prior, but he truly could; evidenced by them beginning to stream down the cheek of his twin.

"I am the horrors that Laura has faced..." Lucius avowed, with his face casting towards the ground as his features began showing signs of self-inflicted humiliation. Spongebob cocked his head into a questioning expression, but said nothing to let him continue without interruption. "I am the one... who hurt her throughout her life..." The Devil morosely whispered.

"I was Logan... Captain Sturgeon... and now, I am you..."

Upon hearing the aforementioned names, the yellow Sponge nearly became an enraged red instantly. Those names were only told to him by his wife when she was young, and the more he thought about her descriptions of them, the more he could see within this Beast. "You mean to say... that you were behind everything... the WHOLE time?!" The man fought for composure but was losing it faster than he could even breathe. More concerns assaulted the man's thoughts and swiftly overtook him. "You STALKED my wife for Neptune knows how long?! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Spongebob belted out; clenching his fists til they became a reddish white. Lucius ducked his horned dome like he was seeking to avoid his Host's rightfully prejudiced glare. Now both Laura and Spongebob were furious with him, and he deserved it. "There are no words to express how utterly terrible I feel about the things I've done--" "Yeah, no shit Sherlock!" Spongebob interrupted. "Got anymore surprises tucked away before I find a way to get out of here and smash those pearly whites into your gums?!" The man was practically fuming at this new development. Despite this though, Lucius's thoughtful smile escorted his relief. Experiencing his resentment somehow made him feel better, even though at the same time, his black heart ached with desire for forgiveness.

"I would give anything to leave and never return, Robert... But I can't kill you... because I would live and take your place as her lover... Not out of victory over you would I step in to take care of her, please know that..." He assured but the Sponge continued to feel betrayed. His yellow fingers gripped tightly a cord-like vein near the drifting and ever pulsing mind of the Devil, considering snapping it off to hopefully shut him up. Something pulled him away from that rumination nonetheless. He only bit his tongue with a silent, but bitter resentment. Lucius's vision crawled to the tree he laid against-- thoroughly enjoying the wispy long protrusions that swayed like the hair of a lovely lady in the cold breeze. His touch to it's roots showed a deep affection, which again, Spongebob could sense. He thought to call it out as it was unsusual for him to show a care for anything, if he was indeed reading the signals correctly. "Why did you bring us here? What's the purpose of this place besides to be a distance away from my wife?" The Beast chuffed to the boy's naive assertions. His sizeable hand brushed across the coarse texture of the trunk before he gave it a few light pats.

"This tree... is the tomb of my Wife... and Daughter..."

A dark frisson seemed to hit Spongebob with an invisible fist. He expeditiously studied the tree, and glanced at the hand of the dark man resting upon its thick bark. Focusing in on it allowed him to feel a phantom of the splintering texture in his own palm. "What are you talking about?" He questioned, having the Devil reposition himself back into the lap of the tree to begin his story. "My Wife Laurel... and your Wife Laura... look exactly the same... well, incredibly close anyway..." Lucius informed. "We tried to start a life in the town of Harkward..." Spongebob, apprehending that title, recollected, "I had a book in my Library about that... But that place disappeared didn't it?" He questioned, but he still wasn't out of anger to give. Although, it had pacified significantly the longer their conversation went on. It was too fascinating to lose the spotlight in favor of reckless hostility. "Yes, it did... And I was it's reckoning..." The Devil confirmed as he tossed a stone across the sand. "I had enslaved that Village once... To get revenge on how they treated me when I was a child, and to prove I may rule Hell by my father's side... I was ruthless. But even so, I showed them a small taste of the cruelty my Father inflicted upon me. Their deaths by my hand was mercy in comparison."

Lucius let out a low, but pained grumbling-- snaking his fingers to his eyes. He stroked the area around his cheekbones and socket as he continued a deep rumbling hum. After some reflectivity, Lucius spoke up again. "My Father tore my eyes from my skull and devoured them as a punishment... I was nothing more than a boy then... My body could regenerate after many days of him gutting me, puncturing my lungs or castrating me, but my eyes could not fully heal... They are filled with pain every day... I suppose that was the day he finally broke me..." The Sponge expressed pity for the Beast, but not as much empathy as he had stashed away for Laura. He only nodded and continued to pay attention. "Everything changed when Laurel came to my Village... She had escaped forced prositution by her own father... if she became pregnant during her work, he beat the child to death and used it as an excuse to abuse her." A ridge carved his brow into a grotesque visage as he lightly shivered from the simple remembrance of the events she endured, or at least, from what she told him. Spongebob also looked to his feet at such horrible information, and pondered what he would do if that was his Wife or even Daughter. "I took her from the streets...She needed shelter and I needed a Servant..." to that, Spongebob rolled his eyes and sarcastically retorted, "Oh, how romantic. How ever did you deduce Women wanted to be slaves, Romeo?" The Demon only sighed patiently and pressed on. "After some time together, she... gave me signs... that she loved me." He smiled when her radiant face appeared in his mind. "I didn't see it at first, but... it became clear the first time our lips touched." His finger trailed to his maw in that instant with the essence of admiration plastered to his cheeks in the form of a near-black blush.

As the Beast articulated his words, Spongebob sat upon a fleshy growth while folding his arms in wait and his own deductions. He knew exactly how it feels when love catches you. You slow down to let it embrace you; clasping your hands around the arms of love so it will never leave. That may precisely be why it is such torture when it breaks. This man who stole his body wasn't broken. He was decimated. This man lashed out from multiple tragedies, and from what he could gather, he was a disappointment to his father. In that way, he must have been a good child from the beginning who conformed to a corrupt path. "Ah..." Spongebob muttered, now placing some of the peices together. "You followed Laura because she looked exactly like your... Laurel. And... I'm guessing you hoped she was single so you could rebuild a life with her, huh?" Lucius dropped his smile in that moment. "No..." He admitted. Shaking hands replaced the once calm stroking of the trees roots. His lip quivered before he spoke his next utterance. "My Wife was murdered by my Father... She was nothing more than a distraction in his eyes... She was pregnant with..." Lucius began to tremble. Moistened eyes restarted his previous trails of depression. He sounded incredibly destroyed, even through a meager amount of light hiccups of sobs. He wiped his face clean and took in a heavy breath. "My sweet... Fayre Sarai..." It was the first time that night he had spoken her name since her death. Just mentioning it seemed to kill him all over again, no matter how lovely the sound is. It's meaning transformed from 'Beautiful Princess' into a word of ruin or demise to his ears.

The host of the Devil blinked in a new tragic mixture of hesitation, awareness and aggravation. Although his anger was diminishing every second, it remained dawdling in the back of his concerns; ready to spring back if given the opportunity. In spite of that, the news of the deceased child send a shiver up his spine-- not out of fear, but for condolence. "I am afflicted with a curse, Robert... one so deceitful, many would have considered it a blessing." The tear-soaked Demon resumed, now in a state of sniffling. "I disemboweled my Father once I exposed him as the killer of my Wife... and for that I am doomed to walk the Earth... I cannot grow old, be killed, nor commit suicide... I've tried so desperately to reunite our spirits, but as my luck would have it, it was all for naught." He paused, and lowered his eyelids. The anticipation of his next sentence was so burdensome it could burn a cavity into his brain. "That being said... I hunted Laura for one reason alone." Petrifying irises materialized in a nest of black veins as Lucius peered at his massive claws with an undertone of disgust for them. "I thought she was a cruel joke from God; sent to torture me further. Soon, I found myself lustful in her presence... Her body was so familiar, but different... I wanted her in anguish when we met... then, I wanted her beneath me... I... I have never done that before, and the guilt from this plagues me to this day... I'm sure it haunts her at every corner..." His lip shuddered as he made his iniquities known. "I would like her to absolve me of all my injustices, but I do not want her to love me... I could never truly love another myself against the one I have lost..." Saying this out loud, he had assumed it would give him higher clarity. Yet, something felt wrong. He couldn't even muster a smile.

Spongebob sat back and contemplated to himself. This Beast seemed genuine enough in his words, though it was still no excuse for his actions. After all, It wasn't Satan who took his wife by force in that tunnel, nor he who claimed Spongebob as a vessel of anarchy. Sure, he was abused by his father, and empathy was in order for that, but what he did all his own evened it out, Spongebob thought. They were stuck with each other. That fact had not changed and possibly never will. But it wasn't himself nor his problems he cared about too terribly. It was Laura, and everything she was put through. Everything she endured with resolve and triumphed over or even failed against. She did nothing to warrant these attacks, but she paid for it with her mental health and blood. Although, she remained strong despite these things. She may be ranting at this Demon for what he did earlier even now in a similar way she would when her husband did something without thinking. In an odd way, the gesture was like it's own form of understanding, or perhaps love. She could have chosen to cower like every other patron in that restaurant, but she stood firm, and instead faced him. Becoming frustrated with him revealed that she does indeed care.

The man huffed out a calmed breath and said, "If you want her forgiveness, tell her the truth sooner rather than later. If you think about it, she has suffered so much more than you probably ever will, so it's best to rip off that band-aid as quick as possible. You owe it to her, Savage." Lucius cringed at that name, but did nothing to correct him. A part of his mind wished not to spell every secret out at once as he was already overwhelmed by what exposition he gave.

"I may not love her in the same sense that you do, but I do admire and care for her, Robert. When I am prepared, she will be informed... Heh..." The Devil chuckled softly. "It is sort of funny though how when our lips connect, she feels you through mine and I long for Laurel within hers... We might always be left unsatisfied and unquenchable. That is precisely why we would never work anyhow..." He shook his horned head with a lustful smirk threatening to appear.

A wash of discontentment spread under Lucius's skin for the second time. Were his words failing to tell his mind something, or were they misinterpreted the second they exited his mouth? The sensation was swiftly growing intolerable-- indicated by the new look displacing his smirk. This conversation was meant to relinquish his sins, but so far it gave the impression of a higher sort of grief. Lucius pondered secretly about this feeling so as not to disturb the connection he created with his host. Suddenly however, his silent postulations were interjected by Spongebob suggesting they head home, to which he sluggishly agreed.

Lucius's giant hand caressed the trunk of his family's tomb a final time as he stood to depart the fields. He figured his discomfort had something to do with what he had said, but what that was would eat at him until he could have it solved. It was only a matter of patience and cudgeling his brain.

'Help me, my Love... What more must I do? Please... offer some guidance... I am lost without you...' Lucius prayed in his thoughts to the angel of the grave, before he bit his lip and released the tree. Turning his back to the hill with a heavy respire, the Devil locked eyes onto the full moon through the ocean's rippling waves. There was more beauty on this planet than he previously assumed. It only occured to him now to perceive it, and in doing so, allowed him to push back the pulsations of his strange distress. At least, for now.

The Devil absconded the area; not realizing that a gentle light had materialized-- branching tendril-like pseudo arms from a central point that hovered just above the plot of his Wife. It shimmered pleasantly, and radiated tiny specks of firefly-esc orbs before fading back into the night, with its arms seeming to hug the inner core out of existence.

His call was answered... And a deliverance was on the horizon.

Description
Laura trudged away from the Police Station back towards her Boat and slammed the door after sinking herself into the seat with an exasperated sigh. She never thought she would have to bail the supposed ruler of Hell out of Jail in her life-- and just when she believed an appreciation of him was becoming clear. Near white-knuckled hands clasped the steering wheel like she was pretending to choke it until a few of her fingers went ahead and rhythmically tapped the sides of the tattered black grip. Laura rarely became furious; especially in her still heightening age, but this completely avoidable situation provoked her own sort of inner demon to surface and writhe under her pores. Her brown eyes shot daggers at the front doors of the station as she waited for her Husband to finish filing paperwork in the stead of the Devil, of whom she was hoping could feel the sting of her glare.

The Demon within Spongebob's head was ranting to himself for the entirety of his time he had wasted on the gossiping fish from the restaurant, as well as the inconveniences caused by his Host stepping in. He didn't have to put his hands up once the Police arrived, Lucius thought. If only the boy stayed silent, they would have escaped without a trace. Perhaps not without first removing the fins of the Fish who dared speak ill of his date, however. They had deserved it, didn't they? Alas, they would never come to terms with Lucius' methods of Justice. Violence merely for the sake of summoning it was never something Spongebob cared for, even if his hands partake willingly. Guilt would soon fester in the man's blood if he ever did.

Lucius peered through the eyes of his Host at the papers he shuffled through before he scoffed in irritation and fell backwards onto the squidgy cranial floor-- now lying flat with his arms spralled in a stance that suggested a snow angel was in order. "HURRY UP WITH THAT ALREADY!! THIS IS TAKING FOREVER!!" The Devil nagged the boy, showing a new impatience Spongebob hasn't seen before, which took him off guard for a moment. Returning to his work, Spongebob teased the parasite under his breath, "What's the rush to get out, Bud? Got another Restaurant to terrorize or something?" Although the Sponge was poisoned ill due his inner Demon's rage, he couldn't help but to play around with him. But the Beast grumbled lowly-- sinking his claws into the fibers of muscle under his hands, if not only to give the man a migraine. "OH, I'M SORRY I STEPPED IN TO SILENCE THE HERD OF MOTHER FUCKERS WHO HAD THE GALL TO LAY CLAIM UPON MADAM SQUAREPANTS WHO IS CURRENTLY PIERCING ME WITH HER EYES OUTSIDE. MY BAD INDEED. IT'S ALMOST AS IF I GAVE TWO SHITS ABOUT HER IMAGE THERE. OH, WAIT..." He paused his sarcasm, only to rip two chunks out of Spongebob's head suddenly and hurl them towards the back of the man's eyes. "I DID!!!" The howl that bellowed from Lucius resonated through the small space of the Consciousness, as it merely added to the already searing pain of the new wounds within Spongebob's skull. "AND I'M SORRY I DON'T WANT ANY OF THESE HEATHENS TO BREATHE MALICE UPON HER NAME, BUT I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER WAY TO TEACH THEM THAT SHE IS NOT TO BE TRIFLED WITH AS LONG AS I AM WITHIN EAR-SHOT!!" He bemoaned, "WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE IF YOU'RE SUCH A SAINT?!" Lucius bared rows of sharpened teeth; clenching strenuously and causing them to creak.

The fountain pen Spongebob held trembled and nearly dropped from his fingers like his nerves have been tampered with, and in that spance, the Officer sitting across from him began to wonder if the man was about to break down. A few tears had welled up in the ducts and his brow scrunched in a way that created a look of acute discomfort. "You're fine, Son. You'll be done soon. Just a little more, OK?" The fish reassured, and Spongebob gave him a quick glance followed by a small nod as he continued to the final page. It was only now that he was grateful he had changed places with his Doppleganger when he had. If the Police had seen the Monster, he might be studied and prodded in a Lab by now.

Once the grumbling Demon laid down again, Spongebob took his opportunity to address his actions, "There was no need for that, I was just trying to lighten the mood..." A loud and obviously faked laugh punched the muttering out of the Devil's mouth, "BY PATRONIZING ME? SURE, WHY NOT? WHAT FUN! BEST TO CONDESCEND THE BLOODY SON OF THE GREAT DEVIL! HE'S JUST A WEE LAD THAT COULDN'T HURT A FLY! CLEARLY THE INTELLIGENCE IS LEAKING FROM YOU!" A disgruntled Spongebob shook his head. He didn't quite know why he was behaving with bad form, seeing as he could have cut and run from here whenever he pleased. However, he did have a solid theory. The yellow square considered his next words carefully, then calmly replied, "I didn't mean to offend you. But, Laura is a capable woman, Savage. And even though you CLEARLY care about her and who interracts with her, remember that she's been in the Navy, dealt with my stupid ass for... I don't know how long now and faced many other horrors in her life. She can handle a little bad-mouthing. If you would just give her more credit."

Lucius slowly silenced his growls to fixate on Laura's days in the Navy. After visualizing her running from him in the red lit and flooded halls of the cavitating submarine, his features twisted into shame. A light moan escaped his lungs as he replayed the memory over and over like a broken record. The Devil reached up to his chest and placed a heavy hand over his heart. She had shot him that day point-blank with a rifle. Callused fingers brushed over his pectoral like he still felt the sting of the bullet. That look in her eyes-- like an anomalous gelid fire, he thought. It was exhilarating for him to remember, and yet at the same time painful, but not in the sense that his physicality was truly damaged. It was perhaps because she really was made from the same mold as Laurel, and if she killed him, it would make them even. Though, it was always unlikely, and he knew it well. He was aware he didn't have a hand in the death of his beloved by means of intention, and he himself could not die no matter what. It was through her connection to him that she perished.

He exhaled a breath filled with regrets as he snapped out of his reflections. By the time he opened his reddened eyes again, they were already headed to the boat to greet the displeased woman in the driver's seat.

The two sat near motionless and quiet beside one another on the highway. The chill of the night air appeared to bend around a heated aura surrounding Laura. It could not penetrate her when her blood boiled it away. Spongebob peered at her concentrated face, but she did not return his look. Maybe it was for the best not to presently. He turned away, now counting the street lights as they sped past towards home. Unprecedently however, Lucius took over his host's body and the noticable shift in weight caused Laura to break focus from the road to the Devil in the place her Husband disappeared. "Wha-- Savage, what are you doing?!" Spongebob asked while being forcibly tossed into the space they shared.

The Devil gleamed his menacing eyes down at her with a paradoxical meloncholy to his brow. He looked like he had something to say, but remained speechless despite it. Instead, the first to break the ice was her; if said ice was destroyed with 2 tons of dynamite. "What the HELL were you thinking in there?!" She screamed, repeating her concentration of the road. "You could have KILLED someone!" To that, the man chuffed, "HONESTLY, THAT WAS THE PLAN." She glared at him while keeping her head in line with the street, unwavering in her movements. "Why would you even think of doing that if you were making so much progress with me, Savage? Did you assume I'd swoon over this?" The woman sternly asked. "Because I don't go for the whole 'bad boy' trope... I can't even express how disappointed I am in you right now. You REALLY messed up tonight." Laura shook her head, and continued to scold him, but his expressions for the duration of it became vacant. He found himself infatuated with the tone of her vexed assertions. Another memory intruded his mind, where she was dressed in similar fashion to Laurel during a Halloween party he hosted the days he spent possessing Logan. His mouth and brow warped with even more remorse for stealing the potential good years of her youth. He didn't need to do anything to her, and yet, here she is before him. Yelling at him for something he had done in her name. What a world.

As the boat pulled into the warm Garage of the Pineapple home, Laura stared into the wicked face of the Devil, who didn't seem to be all there, or at least, not until she touched her hand to his tense thigh. She felt him flinch before meeting her gaze. The couple inspected each other's expressions-- sorting through their meanings in their own postulations. Laura was unreadable to him in this juncture, when such a short time ago he could traverse her thoughts without so much as a blink. A rush of fervor enveloped Lucius' entirety by the basic look she cast upon him, however. Those radiant and glimmering golden irises were familiar, and brought him comfort; even if she was less than content with him momentarily. Another thought crossed his mind-- something he needed to do or he would implode into a depression so immense, he would collapse right into her now just so she could hold him like Laurel used to.

He had to let the truth into the world. Everything he had done and every string he had pulled... must be laid bare.

Yet he continued to be still in her presence. Was he even truly ready to come forth with this to her of all people? This was the first instance he could recall his confidence retreat. The first time he didn't know what to do.

"Savage? Are you alright?" Spongebob asked, reintroducing himself to the situation. The reverberating voice of his host permitted the Devil to perk up a bit. He had recaptured his train of thought, and the one it was headed towards was...

Without any more contemplation, he hopped from the passenger seat and sprouted wings to take to the skies as quickly as he could muster. Laura was left unexpectedly alone, which remodified her calm surprise into the cold bitterness she held waiting at the station. "You're welcome for wasting my money, jerk!" She spat, collecting her purse and slammed the driver side door shut prior to entering her home in a similarly angered fashion.

------------------------

Spongebob sat confused in the Consciousness in regards to his Demon's swift departure. Every emotion toiled by Lucius was like a mass of humid, if not intangible waves within the fleshy dimension Spongebob was occupying. The air gradually started feeling as viscous as honey, and subsequently difficult to walk through. Where was he going with such heavy sensitivities? His inquiry was answered once the bronze creature made a sloppy landing onto the sands of Jellyfish fields. Swiping debris from his dilapidated brown shorts, Lucius made his way with haste towards a Magenta Coral Willow-- sitting at it's base instantaniously whilst facing away from a sea of red flowers.

The Yellow Sponge didn't speak up for some time; contemplating to wait for the other Man's move. Lucius gave the impression of nervousness through ways of unremitted muscle spasms, which Spongebob could detect from the now twitching cranium floor. His nerves wouldn't cease their signals of worry. A strong breath fell from the Beast in an attempt to soothe himself. He raised his head to the heavens as he sunk more of his weight restfully into the tree.

"Robert..." Lucius addressed, having his host straighten out at attention and reply quickly, "Yeah?" Lucius turned his unsettling milky white eyes to the wedding ring on his finger; binding him and Laura together. He had lovingly smirked at the notion, but soon shook his head. Spongebob was her Husband, not him. He didn't deserve even a doppleganger of Laurel, no matter how forgiving she was. "I... I would like to... confess... something to someone, and..." He spoke unenergetically and without an aspect of intimidation unlike his usual tone. "Do not tell any of this to Laura... Understand that I'm not asking. I just want to tell her myself when... when I'm ready..." Spongebob sat up, intrigued. He nodded with comprehension. He could discern a tremor within the ever-expanding consciousness-- a tremor he recognized immediately as a welling up of tears about to come forth after holding them in for a long time. He still didn't know how he could feel it, as well as many other emotions the Monster had prior, but he truly could; evidenced by them beginning to stream down the cheek of his twin.

"I am the horrors that Laura has faced..." Lucius avowed, with his face casting towards the ground as his features began showing signs of self-inflicted humiliation. Spongebob cocked his head into a questioning expression, but said nothing to let him continue without interruption. "I am the one... who hurt her throughout her life..." The Devil morosely whispered.

"I was Logan... Captain Sturgeon... and now, I am you..."

Upon hearing the aforementioned names, the yellow Sponge nearly became an enraged red instantly. Those names were only told to him by his wife when she was young, and the more he thought about her descriptions of them, the more he could see within this Beast. "You mean to say... that you were behind everything... the WHOLE time?!" The man fought for composure but was losing it faster than he could even breathe. More concerns assaulted the man's thoughts and swiftly overtook him. "You STALKED my wife for Neptune knows how long?! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Spongebob belted out; clenching his fists til they became a reddish white. Lucius ducked his horned dome like he was seeking to avoid his Host's rightfully prejudiced glare. Now both Laura and Spongebob were furious with him, and he deserved it. "There are no words to express how utterly terrible I feel about the things I've done--" "Yeah, no shit Sherlock!" Spongebob interrupted. "Got anymore surprises tucked away before I find a way to get out of here and smash those pearly whites into your gums?!" The man was practically fuming at this new development. Despite this though, Lucius's thoughtful smile escorted his relief. Experiencing his resentment somehow made him feel better, even though at the same time, his black heart ached with desire for forgiveness.

"I would give anything to leave and never return, Robert... But I can't kill you... because I would live and take your place as her lover... Not out of victory over you would I step in to take care of her, please know that..." He assured but the Sponge continued to feel betrayed. His yellow fingers gripped tightly a cord-like vein near the drifting and ever pulsing mind of the Devil, considering snapping it off to hopefully shut him up. Something pulled him away from that rumination nonetheless. He only bit his tongue with a silent, but bitter resentment. Lucius's vision crawled to the tree he laid against-- thoroughly enjoying the wispy long protrusions that swayed like the hair of a lovely lady in the cold breeze. His touch to it's roots showed a deep affection, which again, Spongebob could sense. He thought to call it out as it was unsusual for him to show a care for anything, if he was indeed reading the signals correctly. "Why did you bring us here? What's the purpose of this place besides to be a distance away from my wife?" The Beast chuffed to the boy's naive assertions. His sizeable hand brushed across the coarse texture of the trunk before he gave it a few light pats.

"This tree... is the tomb of my Wife... and Daughter..."

A dark frisson seemed to hit Spongebob with an invisible fist. He expeditiously studied the tree, and glanced at the hand of the dark man resting upon its thick bark. Focusing in on it allowed him to feel a phantom of the splintering texture in his own palm. "What are you talking about?" He questioned, having the Devil reposition himself back into the lap of the tree to begin his story. "My Wife Laurel... and your Wife Laura... look exactly the same... well, incredibly close anyway..." Lucius informed. "We tried to start a life in the town of Harkward..." Spongebob, apprehending that title, recollected, "I had a book in my Library about that... But that place disappeared didn't it?" He questioned, but he still wasn't out of anger to give. Although, it had pacified significantly the longer their conversation went on. It was too fascinating to lose the spotlight in favor of reckless hostility. "Yes, it did... And I was it's reckoning..." The Devil confirmed as he tossed a stone across the sand. "I had enslaved that Village once... To get revenge on how they treated me when I was a child, and to prove I may rule Hell by my father's side... I was ruthless. But even so, I showed them a small taste of the cruelty my Father inflicted upon me. Their deaths by my hand was mercy in comparison."

Lucius let out a low, but pained grumbling-- snaking his fingers to his eyes. He stroked the area around his cheekbones and socket as he continued a deep rumbling hum. After some reflectivity, Lucius spoke up again. "My Father tore my eyes from my skull and devoured them as a punishment... I was nothing more than a boy then... My body could regenerate after many days of him gutting me, puncturing my lungs or castrating me, but my eyes could not fully heal... They are filled with pain every day... I suppose that was the day he finally broke me..." The Sponge expressed pity for the Beast, but not as much empathy as he had stashed away for Laura. He only nodded and continued to pay attention. "Everything changed when Laurel came to my Village... She had escaped forced prositution by her own father... if she became pregnant during her work, he beat the child to death and used it as an excuse to abuse her." A ridge carved his brow into a grotesque visage as he lightly shivered from the simple remembrance of the events she endured, or at least, from what she told him. Spongebob also looked to his feet at such horrible information, and pondered what he would do if that was his Wife or even Daughter. "I took her from the streets...She needed shelter and I needed a Servant..." to that, Spongebob rolled his eyes and sarcastically retorted, "Oh, how romantic. How ever did you deduce Women wanted to be slaves, Romeo?" The Demon only sighed patiently and pressed on. "After some time together, she... gave me signs... that she loved me." He smiled when her radiant face appeared in his mind. "I didn't see it at first, but... it became clear the first time our lips touched." His finger trailed to his maw in that instant with the essence of admiration plastered to his cheeks in the form of a near-black blush.

As the Beast articulated his words, Spongebob sat upon a fleshy growth while folding his arms in wait and his own deductions. He knew exactly how it feels when love catches you. You slow down to let it embrace you; clasping your hands around the arms of love so it will never leave. That may precisely be why it is such torture when it breaks. This man who stole his body wasn't broken. He was decimated. This man lashed out from multiple tragedies, and from what he could gather, he was a disappointment to his father. In that way, he must have been a good child from the beginning who conformed to a corrupt path. "Ah..." Spongebob muttered, now placing some of the peices together. "You followed Laura because she looked exactly like your... Laurel. And... I'm guessing you hoped she was single so you could rebuild a life with her, huh?" Lucius dropped his smile in that moment. "No..." He admitted. Shaking hands replaced the once calm stroking of the trees roots. His lip quivered before he spoke his next utterance. "My Wife was murdered by my Father... She was nothing more than a distraction in his eyes... She was pregnant with..." Lucius began to tremble. Moistened eyes restarted his previous trails of depression. He sounded incredibly destroyed, even through a meager amount of light hiccups of sobs. He wiped his face clean and took in a heavy breath. "My sweet... Fayre Sarai..." It was the first time that night he had spoken her name since her death. Just mentioning it seemed to kill him all over again, no matter how lovely the sound is. It's meaning transformed from 'Beautiful Princess' into a word of ruin or demise to his ears.

The host of the Devil blinked in a new tragic mixture of hesitation, awareness and aggravation. Although his anger was diminishing every second, it remained dawdling in the back of his concerns; ready to spring back if given the opportunity. In spite of that, the news of the deceased child send a shiver up his spine-- not out of fear, but for condolence. "I am afflicted with a curse, Robert... one so deceitful, many would have considered it a blessing." The tear-soaked Demon resumed, now in a state of sniffling. "I disemboweled my Father once I exposed him as the killer of my Wife... and for that I am doomed to walk the Earth... I cannot grow old, be killed, nor commit suicide... I've tried so desperately to reunite our spirits, but as my luck would have it, it was all for naught." He paused, and lowered his eyelids. The anticipation of his next sentence was so burdensome it could burn a cavity into his brain. "That being said... I hunted Laura for one reason alone." Petrifying irises materialized in a nest of black veins as Lucius peered at his massive claws with an undertone of disgust for them. "I thought she was a cruel joke from God; sent to torture me further. Soon, I found myself lustful in her presence... Her body was so familiar, but different... I wanted her in anguish when we met... then, I wanted her beneath me... I... I have never done that before, and the guilt from this plagues me to this day... I'm sure it haunts her at every corner..." His lip shuddered as he made his iniquities known. "I would like her to absolve me of all my injustices, but I do not want her to love me... I could never truly love another myself against the one I have lost..." Saying this out loud, he had assumed it would give him higher clarity. Yet, something felt wrong. He couldn't even muster a smile.

Spongebob sat back and contemplated to himself. This Beast seemed genuine enough in his words, though it was still no excuse for his actions. After all, It wasn't Satan who took his wife by force in that tunnel, nor he who claimed Spongebob as a vessel of anarchy. Sure, he was abused by his father, and empathy was in order for that, but what he did all his own evened it out, Spongebob thought. They were stuck with each other. That fact had not changed and possibly never will. But it wasn't himself nor his problems he cared about too terribly. It was Laura, and everything she was put through. Everything she endured with resolve and triumphed over or even failed against. She did nothing to warrant these attacks, but she paid for it with her mental health and blood. Although, she remained strong despite these things. She may be ranting at this Demon for what he did earlier even now in a similar way she would when her husband did something without thinking. In an odd way, the gesture was like it's own form of understanding, or perhaps love. She could have chosen to cower like every other patron in that restaurant, but she stood firm, and instead faced him. Becoming frustrated with him revealed that she does indeed care.

The man huffed out a calmed breath and said, "If you want her forgiveness, tell her the truth sooner rather than later. If you think about it, she has suffered so much more than you probably ever will, so it's best to rip off that band-aid as quick as possible. You owe it to her, Savage." Lucius cringed at that name, but did nothing to correct him. A part of his mind wished not to spell every secret out at once as he was already overwhelmed by what exposition he gave.

"I may not love her in the same sense that you do, but I do admire and care for her, Robert. When I am prepared, she will be informed... Heh..." The Devil chuckled softly. "It is sort of funny though how when our lips connect, she feels you through mine and I long for Laurel within hers... We might always be left unsatisfied and unquenchable. That is precisely why we would never work anyhow..." He shook his horned head with a lustful smirk threatening to appear.

A wash of discontentment spread under Lucius's skin for the second time. Were his words failing to tell his mind something, or were they misinterpreted the second they exited his mouth? The sensation was swiftly growing intolerable-- indicated by the new look displacing his smirk. This conversation was meant to relinquish his sins, but so far it gave the impression of a higher sort of grief. Lucius pondered secretly about this feeling so as not to disturb the connection he created with his host. Suddenly however, his silent postulations were interjected by Spongebob suggesting they head home, to which he sluggishly agreed.

Lucius's giant hand caressed the trunk of his family's tomb a final time as he stood to depart the fields. He figured his discomfort had something to do with what he had said, but what that was would eat at him until he could have it solved. It was only a matter of patience and cudgeling his brain.

'Help me, my Love... What more must I do? Please... offer some guidance... I am lost without you...' Lucius prayed in his thoughts to the angel of the grave, before he bit his lip and released the tree. Turning his back to the hill with a heavy respire, the Devil locked eyes onto the full moon through the ocean's rippling waves. There was more beauty on this planet than he previously assumed. It only occured to him now to perceive it, and in doing so, allowed him to push back the pulsations of his strange distress. At least, for now.

The Devil absconded the area; not realizing that a gentle light had materialized-- branching tendril-like pseudo arms from a central point that hovered just above the plot of his Wife. It shimmered pleasantly, and radiated tiny specks of firefly-esc orbs before fading back into the night, with its arms seeming to hug the inner core out of existence.

His call was answered... And a deliverance was on the horizon.